A Fine Line
by aces24
Summary: There are lines drawn regarding what one person will do for another person. But when Bella Swan dies, Edward Cullen will do anything to get her back. Even if it means losing everything in the process.
1. Chapter 1

Edward inhaled the scent of the sterile room, the scent of sick human being, the scent of sweat and the strong scent of chemicals, hiding the fainter smell of urine. Bella's heart monitor beeped relentlessly, plodding on at a steady pace. Edward was, as usual, sitting at her sickbed, watching her intently. There was nowhere else for him to go. True, Charlie had offered him a room in his house in Forks, but in all honesty, he'd rather be here, where he was needed, even if it were only a little bit. He had a few more hours to go before the visiting period was over, before the doctors ushered him out, before he had to return to the hotel room and his solitude and his cheap dinners.

The doctors said that the infection was spreading through Bella's bloodstream at an accelerated pace. That's what the report was a month ago. A month ago, she had slept less; she had been strong enough to get out of bed occasionally. She had been strong enough to be pushed around in a wheelchair when the weather was nice. The doctors said that it was only a matter of weeks, possibly even days before Bella stopped breathing, until Bella's heart stopped beating.

The doctors said it was only a matter of weeks, possibly even days before Bella died.

Isabella Marie Swan was twenty-two years old, daughter to Forks' chief of police, Charlie Swan, and the love of Edward Cullen's life. Even though he was right there, sitting next to Bella, he felt empty, cold and hollow. It's been a long time since he heard Bella's laugh, seen her smiles and the utter fright in her eyes when he told her he would be out hunting. She was clearly afraid of losing him, but ironically, now he was losing her.

It wasn't that no one was looking for a cure for the young woman. That was quite incorrect. They were _desperately_ looking for a cure. It was just that this sort of thing had rarely ever been encountered before and it seemed that their work was going to be in vain, for Bella Swan was fading faster than their efforts were creating results.

Edward studied her intently, as he so often did when he was alone with her, now that she was so quiet. Her skin had lost its healthy tone and was a sickly white, rather than its previous, radiant pale complexion. Her hair had grown longer during her stay at the hospital, now reaching way past her shoulders and was fanned out on the pillow in mahogany webs. Her cheeks were gaunt and her eyes were shadowed with dark rings.

Seeing that a thick piece of hair was drifting in the puffs of her breath, he reached out his hand and brushed it back from her forehead, unhesitant to touch her after the relentless days he had stayed by her side, watched her. Six years ago, he was wary to even let her touch him as she had so often attempted. Now, there was no hesitation.

Her eyes fluttered and she stirred, her breathing hitching. She looked up at Edward, a weak smile touched her lips. It pained him to see how someone who used to be so full of life, was now so frail. The corner of his mouth lifted in a sort of bitter smile as she reached for his hand. He took it and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Edward," she rasped. "Edward, I..."

Something happened then. She started to cough, hacking and wheezing violently, her small body convulsing. She covered her mouth with part of the starched white sheet, curling in on herself. Edward sat, frozen and helpless as her coughing fit finally began to subside. With horror, he watched as she drew the sheet away from her mouth and saw that a dark red stain had blossomed there.

She looked up at him once more, her eyes surprisingly clear, and she smiled grimly at him, more blood bubbling from her lips and staining her teeth as she started to violently hack into the sheet again. Edward, frantic, positively slammed the buzzer for the nurse as Bella coughed. The nurses ushered him out, hustling and bustling around her bed.

Edward stayed in the lobby for three hours, waiting for results. Finally, a nurse came to bring him into her room, leading him to her bed side. Bella was breathing shallowly, her chest rising up and down in short intervals. She turned her head slightly to lock eyes with him and Edward saw something there that struck fear into his heart.

Bella was well and truly dying this time. Right there in front of him.

He pulled a chair up to her and took the hand that she had offered, grasping it gently and threading his fingers through hers. She was trembling from weakness.

"Edward," she began, but he held up his hand, silencing her.

"Don't talk. You will waste your strength."

"No, Edward, I…" she cleared her throat, wheezing a little. "I have to say this."

He stared at her.

"Edward, thank you so much."

He raised his eyebrows at her in question.

"Thank you for staying with me for all these months. You could have been anywhere else, but you chose to stay here, with me. Thanks, Edward, for being—" She dissolved into a vicious fit of coughing again, the convulsions wracking her small frame. Once she calmed, she started again. "Thank you, Edward, for being here, with me."

He stayed silent, just watching her, tears pooling in his eyes. "Why aren't you angry?" He whispered, mostly to himself.

"Because that's not the last emotion I want to feel." She smiled softly at him, reaching her hand out to caress his face. "Besides, why should I be angry? It's my own fault for meddling in things I shouldn't have."

Again, Edward just stayed silent, lost for words.

"Edward?" He focused on her again and found that she was gazing at him with pain-glazed eyes. "It hurts, Edward."

"I know, Bella."

"Don't go, please."

"I will not be going anywhere."

"Thanks," she whispered and started to cough again.

Twenty-two minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, Bella Swan's hand went limp and her heart went still.

Twenty-two minutes and thirty-nine seconds later, Edward Cullen cried.

It was the first time in more than a century.

**

* * *

**

An adaptation of Pen Against Sword's story, under the same title.

_There were some references to House, M.D._

_Diclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	2. Chapter 2

Mysteriously, the day before the body of Bella Swan was scheduled to be cremated; it disappeared from its ceremonial holding building. The guards were found soundly unconscious that morning, lying where they had fallen, and their weapons useless. Upon questioning, it was found that they had no idea what had hit them.

* * *

Alice ran into Bella's house, where Edward had been staying, awaiting the funeral. She found him sitting at the low table in the kitchen, staring at a space in the wall that looked no different from any other space in the wall.

"Edward!" she exclaimed. He looked up at her from beneath his lashes. "Bella's body! It's gone!"

"Gone?" he asked, perfectly calm.

"Yes, gone! We can't find it _anywhere_ and no one saw a single thing! It was like the thief was a shadow or something! Charlie's delirious and Renee is having an emotional breakdown!" Alice's topaz eyes shone with confusion, fear, excitement, and fury. "Who the hell would steal a corpse?"

Edward was silent for a moment. "Who indeed."

Alice stopped and stared at him, her brow furrowed. "Edward…what…? Are you not at all bothered by this? Does this mean _nothing_ to you? Bella's body is gone! _Someone stole Bella's body, Edward!_" Alice panted after her outburst, obviously heavily disturbed by Edward's odd behaviour.

He stared back at her stoically and it was at that moment that Alice noticed his eyes. There was something in them that one did not usually see in the eyes of someone who was grieving, whose love, if not friend, had recently died. Alice knew that Edward had spent the better part of the last months of Bella's illness in her hospital room, never failing to be by her side, watching over her in case he was needed, somehow, some way. One would think that after all that, Alice would not be noticing what she was noticing in his eyes.

His gaze bore not the look of someone sad, not the look of someone whose companion had recently died. This was not the look of a man in mourning or the look of a man who was grieving. This was something else. This was the look of someone who had come to a grave decision, a decision to which they were resigned and ready.

Alice looked into Edward's eyes then and there and knew something was afoot, something more than she was privy to, something that she failed to foresee beforehand.

"Edward. What are you not telling us?"

He stared at her for a few more long moments before speaking. "I want you to call the family together. There's something I need to address."

"But, Ed—"

"Alice. Tell them to come here, to this house."

"All right."

Alice called everyone, which was not a difficult job, seeing as they were all in the vicinity of the cemetery, if not their house in the outskirts of Forks, to see Bella's body off in the funeral pyre ceremony. They wandered into Bella's house with various questions spilling from their lips.

"Did you find anything about the body?"

"Why did you call us, Alice?"

"Why are you staying in Bella's house, Edward?"

Edward raised a hand of silence, as everyone was taking seats around the table where he was kneeling. They watched him expectantly.

"I know," he said slowly, "where Bella's body is."

"Well, where in the world is it?" Carlisle.

"Hell, man, why didn't you tell us earlier?" Emmett.

"_What?_" Alice.

"I didn't tell you because I'm the one who took it."

A heavy, stifling blanket of quiet covered the whole room, before someone else spoke. It was Esme.

"Edward, if this is a joke, then it's not funny."

"It is no joke. I took her, and I hid her."

Emmett leapt up, but Esme and Jasper, sensing more to this than just what was being said, held him back. "Emmett!" Esme said sharply. "Let him finish!"

Edward stared at them all, calm like the eye in a hurricane. "I hid it somewhere that no one will be able to find it so that it will be safe and preserved until the time is right."

"Time is right? Edward, what the hell are you talking about? If you don't make some sense soon, I swear I will wring your neck and start making you, make some sense," Emmett growled darkly.

Edward turned his unnerving cold-topaz gaze to the equally unnerving amber eyes of his brother and blinked once, slowly. "I am going to bring her back."

"That's it. He's crazy and I'm going to do something about it." This time, it was Alice, her eyes dark with fury. Her hand rose above her head, ready to slap Edward, before Jasper stopped her.

Edward nodded at Jasper and continued. "I plan on going to the underworld and taking her soul back."

Jasper stared at him. "Edward, you know that that's only been done once, and even then it was just a legend."

Edward tilted his head in another complacent nod. "Yes."

Jasper peered at him for a few more beats. "You're doing it anyway, aren't you?"

Edward's gaze cut like diamonds.

"Yes."

_

* * *

_

Please leave feedback and answer my poll, the poll is crucial and there will be no update 'till both are done. Thanks.

P.S. I can't find my story in the Twilight archive, reassure me that it's there or I might have to delete and repost A Fine Line again.


	3. Chapter 3

Edward fingered the coin in his pocket absently as he stared down at the still, reflective waters of the lake. His own countenance shimmered back at him, pale and stoic. He ran a finger along the surface of the water, rippling the perfect image. He would need this coin for the toll, or else he would get no farther than the Docks.

He turned around, happy to see that his Mongolian guides had left him to his own accord, as he had wished. He took a moment to contemplate: the rest of the Cullen's have no idea where he was at the moment, the last he saw them was at Bella's would-be funeral. That was a week ago. Time was running out for Bella, or rather, Bella's body. He had to admit though, it was quite difficult to shake Alice off his tail, but he had successfully built a mental shield in his head to ward off a certain, brunette mind reader.

A cool breeze whirled past, carrying a refreshing scent of pine and dew. Edward closed his eyes and inhaled the oddly sweet fragrance.

This would be his last breath.

For now.

_

* * *

_

It was a dull day in Forks, the sun wasn't shining, the birds weren't singing and the sky was filled with an endless expanse of thick gray clouds, possibly bringing a torrential downpour later in the day. In other words, this is the main reason the Cullens' have decided to reside in Forks. Edward leaned on the hood of his silver Volvo, his posture lax as he eyed the rusty-brown Chevy truck pull into an empty spot in the parking lot. The driver, Bella Swan, got out of the vehicle and put on her earphones. A slight movement of hand sent her books tumbling to the ground. He could hear her grumble under her breath and he stifled a smile.

_A sudden screech attracted the students' attention. Another vehicle just entered the parking lot, swerving madly out of control, and on a deadly path straight towards the Chevy truck. Bella sensed the commotion around her and looked up from picking up her books on the ground, she saw the car coming straight at her, her head willed her to run away, but her body was rooted to the spot, her eyes grew wider as the van drew closer. Upon instinct, she curled her knees to her body and shielded her face from the imminent collision. But nothing happened. She slowly looked up, and straight into the golden eyes of Edward Cullen. Her heart was pounding hard, from the imminent collision and being in such close proximity with Edward. _

"_Are you going to tell me how you stopped the van?" asked Bella, her voice barely a whisper._

"_Yeah. Um... I had an adrenaline rush. It's very common. You can Google it." He replied coolly, and then he left the scene, flustered. The scent of Bella had awoken his bloodlust._

* * *

Edward cleared his mind of these extra thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. Now was the time for action. He made sure his cloak was fastened tightly. The extra weight would help.

Taking a deep breath, he sloshed forward into the water and swan-dived in cleanly, with barely a ripple of a splash to indicate his presence beforehand.

The water was ice-cold, and as Edward slowly drifted downward, Edward kept his eyes locked on the surface of the shimmering water. The sun's rays dying down as he sank deeper, and deeper. He held his breath as long as he deemed necessary while he sank. He watched calmly, as his hair drifted around his face in fine, golden webs. It was almost artistic.

He cleared his mind, and then opened his mouth. He gulped the icy water, it burned the lining of his throat and he could feel his lungs constrict as the liquid entered them, choking him. Out of an ancient instinct, he flailed his arms wildly about, attempting to claw his way back to the surface, but he was already so far down. His eyes widened as his limbs thrashed about more violently, moving at their own accord, disturbing the calm currents of the lake. He only sank further in his panic, and the only thing he could hear was the mad pounding of blood in his ears, then, slowly dimming.

Edward sank deeper as the hands of darkness clutched his mind.

_

* * *

_

Aro stared at Edward seriously from across the table. Marcus and Caius flanked him, stiff and crisp in their robes. Aro, the leader of the Volturi, practically vampire royalty, with his papery skin and scarlet eyes clashed with Edward's golden ones, creating an odd, paradoxical color harmony. "Edward, I wanted to talk to you about this decision. You're certain this is what you want to do?"

_Edward stared back at him calmly, his eyes glittering and hard. "Yes."_

"_How much do you know about how to do this?"_

"_I know that one must find a portal of sorts, a place with which to enter the nether realms. It has to be some place of immense spiritual focus and clarity, a place where the dead are near to the living," Edward replied steadily._

_Aro nodded. "You must also…"_

_Edward waited._

_He winced. "Do you know what the rest of the process is, Edward?"_

_Edward shook his head. "I was planning on finding that out very soon."_

_Aro sighed. "I will just tell you then."_

"_How do you come to know these things, Aro?"_

_The fingers on one of Aro's pale hands scratched absently at his goatee. "I read, Edward. I read a lot."_

_Edward nodded, inviting him to continue._

"_Edward, you do have to find an entry point. But once you find that entry point, you must, essentially, kill yourself. You must very nearly die for your spirit to enter the nether realms."_

_Edward cocked an eyebrow. "'Very nearly'?"_

_Aro nodded. "You either have to have someone there to revive you from death, or…in your case, Edward, I think it shall not matter."_

_Edward's eyebrow remained raised, garnering further explanation._

"_Since you are immortal, that means you cannot die by certain physical means. So, Edward, if you were to say, shoot yourself in the head, it would probably kill you because you need your brain to organize the healing processes in your body, but if you were to, say, asphyxiate, your body would be intact, even though you would not be breathing, and your system would be put on hold in a way. Essentially, you would be catatonic, in a coma, per se. This, I believe, is how someone of your structure will have to make the journey."_

_Edward's lips thinned. "And do you know how to get back from the underworld?"_

"_Only by what I have heard in legend."_

"_And, what, precisely, have you heard in legend?"_

_Aro looked at him. "The same that you have. Nine levels, all must be passed or else your soul and obviously, _her_ soul, is lost forever. You _will_ die if you are to fail in there, Edward."_

_Edward nodded. "I am aware of that fact, Aro."_

_Aro regarded him thoughtfully. "You do know by folklore what sort of payment is needed, correct?"_

"_That will be no problem. I have enough to pay the ferry master."_

"_I'm not entirely sure any of this will work anyway."_

_Edward's eyes bored into him intently. "I know."_

* * *

**A/N: Please leave a review, however short. Hope you liked it!**


End file.
